Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the current status is of further modelling and cost-effectiveness analysis of MenABCWY vaccination in teenagers considered by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s meningococcal sub-committee; and whether that work will inform any wider review of (a) meningococcal group B vaccines and (b) meningococcal group B vaccine eligibility criteria.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, told the House on 17 March in the context of the recent meningococcal disease outbreak in Kent, that the Joint Committee on Vaccinations (JCVI) has been asked to re-examine eligibility for meningitis vaccines to assess, for example, an expanded offer to older children and/or young adults. The JCVI will provide updated advice to the Department this summer around whether, and to what extent, a vaccine programme for older children and/or young adults would be clinically effective as well as an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of such a vaccination programme.
The JCVI gives advice to ministers based on the best evidence reflecting current good practice and/or expert opinion. The process involves a robust, transparent, and systematic appraisal of the available evidence from a wide range of sources. The JCVI aims to work with key stakeholders while maintaining the independence of its processes and considerations.
The JCVI is required to consider the cost-effectiveness of a vaccination programme as part of their Code of Practice, which is available at the following link:
The JCVI meningococcal sub-committee meeting heard presentations regarding modelling of MenABCWY vaccination in adolescents in their meeting on 13 November 2025. The minutes of this meeting are available in the document attached. This meeting took place before the 2026 outbreak in Kent and the subsequent request from my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to review eligibility for the meningococcal group B vaccine in older children and young adults. The context of the recent meningococcal outbreak in Kent will be important to consider in any updated modelling which is considered by the JCVI going forward.
It is also important to note that there are currently no MenABCWY vaccines licensed in the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether external organisations, including charities and patient organisations, will have opportunities to submit written evidence to any review of meningococcal group B vaccines or meningococcal group B vaccine eligibility criteria.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, told the House on 17 March in the context of the recent meningococcal disease outbreak in Kent, that the Joint Committee on Vaccinations (JCVI) has been asked to re-examine eligibility for meningitis vaccines to assess, for example, an expanded offer to older children and/or young adults. The JCVI will provide updated advice to the Department this summer around whether, and to what extent, a vaccine programme for older children and/or young adults would be clinically effective as well as an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of such a vaccination programme.
The JCVI gives advice to ministers based on the best evidence reflecting current good practice and/or expert opinion. The process involves a robust, transparent, and systematic appraisal of the available evidence from a wide range of sources. The JCVI aims to work with key stakeholders while maintaining the independence of its processes and considerations.
The JCVI is required to consider the cost-effectiveness of a vaccination programme as part of their Code of Practice, which is available at the following link:
The JCVI meningococcal sub-committee meeting heard presentations regarding modelling of MenABCWY vaccination in adolescents in their meeting on 13 November 2025. The minutes of this meeting are available in the document attached. This meeting took place before the 2026 outbreak in Kent and the subsequent request from my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to review eligibility for the meningococcal group B vaccine in older children and young adults. The context of the recent meningococcal outbreak in Kent will be important to consider in any updated modelling which is considered by the JCVI going forward.
It is also important to note that there are currently no MenABCWY vaccines licensed in the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what timetable the Department expects for any review by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation of meningococcal group B vaccines or meningococcal group B vaccine eligibility criteria.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, told the House on 17 March in the context of the recent meningococcal disease outbreak in Kent, that the Joint Committee on Vaccinations (JCVI) has been asked to re-examine eligibility for meningitis vaccines to assess, for example, an expanded offer to older children and/or young adults. The JCVI will provide updated advice to the Department this summer around whether, and to what extent, a vaccine programme for older children and/or young adults would be clinically effective as well as an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of such a vaccination programme.
The JCVI gives advice to ministers based on the best evidence reflecting current good practice and/or expert opinion. The process involves a robust, transparent, and systematic appraisal of the available evidence from a wide range of sources. The JCVI aims to work with key stakeholders while maintaining the independence of its processes and considerations.
The JCVI is required to consider the cost-effectiveness of a vaccination programme as part of their Code of Practice, which is available at the following link:
The JCVI meningococcal sub-committee meeting heard presentations regarding modelling of MenABCWY vaccination in adolescents in their meeting on 13 November 2025. The minutes of this meeting are available in the document attached. This meeting took place before the 2026 outbreak in Kent and the subsequent request from my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to review eligibility for the meningococcal group B vaccine in older children and young adults. The context of the recent meningococcal outbreak in Kent will be important to consider in any updated modelling which is considered by the JCVI going forward.
It is also important to note that there are currently no MenABCWY vaccines licensed in the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had discussions with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on the cost-effectiveness methodology applied to meningococcal group B vaccines; and whether that methodology will take account of (a) NICE's updated threshold of £25,000 to £35,000 per quality-adjusted life year and (b) other changes to NICE’s standard cost-effectiveness thresholds.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is working closely with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to ensure that the methodology used by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to assess the cost-effectiveness of vaccination programmes provides the information that the committee requires in order to develop objective and robust advice on matters related to vaccination and immunisation, including advice on meningococcal group B vaccines.
While the JCVI’s code of practice is being updated, the Department has confirmed that the JCVI continues to consider a vaccination programme to be cost-effective if the health benefits, both the direct health benefits to those vaccinated and the indirect health benefits to the unvaccinated population, are greater than the costs when each quality-adjusted life year is valued at £20,000.
Information on cost-effectiveness is considered by the JCVI alongside evidence of the burden of disease, of vaccine safety and efficacy, and of the impact of immunisation strategies.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the Department has made of inequalities in access to meningococcal group B vaccination for teenagers and young adults who are not eligible for NHS-funded vaccination, including where vaccination is available only through private purchase.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has asked the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI) to re-examine eligibility for meningitis vaccines to assess, for example, an expanded offer to older children and/or young adults.
The JCVI will provide updated advice to the Department this summer around whether, and to what extent, a vaccine programme for older children and/or young adults would be clinically effective as well as an assessment of the cost effectiveness of such a vaccination programme.
The Department has not made an assessment about inequalities in access to meningococcal group B vaccination for teenagers and young adults who are not eligible for National Health Service funded vaccination, as private vaccinations are not within its remit.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to undertake an (a) equality impact assessment and (b) health inequalities assessment of access to meningococcal group B vaccination.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In developing vaccination policy, the Department has due regard to its duties under the Public Sector Equality Duty. Consideration of equality and health inequalities impacts are undertaken as part of the development, implementation, and review of vaccination programmes, including meningococcal B (MenB) vaccination programmes.
The United Kingdom has a national immunisation programme against MenB diseases where infants are offered the MenB vaccine at eight weeks, 12 weeks, and one year of age. This vaccine is offered to all UK born infants alongside routine immunisations and therefore is equitable for all infants. This vaccine is also offered to a small group of individuals at increased risk of meningococcal disease such as people without a spleen or complement deficiency.
The UK does not currently offer the vaccine to any other cohorts, but they may still be able to acquire the vaccine privately. However, this is not within the remit of NHS England or the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Should an expansion of the national programme be recommended at any point the UKHSA would, as part of the planning for implementation, undertake an assessment to ensure that the approach recommended acted to mitigate inequity in line with the principles outlined in the Immunisation Equity Strategy for any additional cohorts.
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has asked the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI) to re-examine eligibility for meningitis vaccines to assess, for example, an expanded offer to older children and/or young adults.
The JCVI will provide updated advice to the Department this summer around whether, and to what extent, a vaccine programme for older children and/or young adults would be clinically effective as well as an assessment of the cost effectiveness of such a vaccination programme.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department and the UK Health Security Agency are taking to improve the timeliness and completeness of reporting of suspected cases of meningococcal disease and bacterial meningitis from hospitals.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.